Man shot in Indore hospital, but it could’ve been mistake

A killer dressed as a doctor shot an undertrial prisoner in his bed in a government hospital in Indore on Monday, but police say he might have murdered the wrong man.

The man who was killed, Ramdayal, was asleep in a bed — No. 17 — which had been occupied until a few hours earlier by another man, Jitendra Patidar. Both men were around 30 years old, and accused of murder. Both had been moved to the hospital from the Central Jail on July 16.

Wearing an apron, the killer walked unchecked into the third-floor surgical ward of M Y Hospital, the biggest government hospital in Madhya Pradesh, around 4.30 am, and pulled the trigger on Ramdayal. Ramdayal had been charged with murder in 2012.

Jitendra alias JD had allegedly killed one Pintu Thakor, the owner of a restaurant in Indore’s Banganga locality, in 2013.

“Jitendra told us that he was the target because he had received threats in connection with the murder,” ACP, Sayongitaganj, S M Zaidi, told The Indian Express.

Jitendra had been moved to another bed — No. 12 — after he complained of a foul smell coming from a bed close to the one that he had originally been assigned to. Jitendra, Ramdayal and one more prisoner were among the 20 patients in the ward when the killer walked in.

After the killing, Jitendra was moved back to the jail.

A couple of jail guards were on duty in the ward, but were unable to apprehend the killer. DIG (Indore) Rakesh Gupta said the murder could have been the result of a mistaken identity, but police were investigating all angles.